Clear, Crisp and Concise Changes
by Jayke Muller-Schrecengost
Where Are We Today?
Weren't you amazed by the numerous EIA and other publications regarding documenting of products? Shocked that documenting sprouted in the 1960s? What about Leonardo Di Vinci? Razputin? Newton? Ford? Hewlett-Packard? Don't we have documentation from some folks long ago about what the vision of the world would be in the future? Did they use part numbers? Did they concern themselves with versions or revisions?
I'm inclined to believe the first tracking of changes to documents were managed by dates. Revisions and versions were most likely not a thought in minds of the early centuries intelligencia.
Through the years, discussions have occurred about what to call components, and should there be unique identifiers for component families. Somewhere in the Corporate world, and perhaps the recesses of hallways, this discussion continues.
With the invention of automated product structuring software, many conflicts arise as to what type of part numbering system to use. Many questions arise, like, is this going to meet the requirements of future products? Will this numbering structure be in alignment if companies merge? How will it transcend as the company grows? When and how does the part number need to change?
As CM professional came into focus in the documentation world, structure to product configuration evolved. Along with the information evolving, some very brave authors have given the world a clear, clean and concise process on when a component needs to be re-identified. The latest of these brave souls is our own Vince Guess.
Prior to CMII for Business Process Infrastructure being published, I frequently quoted Ray E. Monahan's book, Engineering Documentation Control and Practices and Procedures on part numbering processes.
After all is said, read and done, it really came down to recalling the days of managing stockrooms and inventories. So, what problems were encountered while trying to meet the Customer's requirements for current replacement parts to fix their computers? Did we stock by revision? Were there multiple containers with the same part numbers but different revisions on the outside of the box? The answer was emphatically "NO!" At the real users level, stockrooms do not and should not stock by revisions when a part changes or modifies it functionally. I believe this was a premise for the original CMII Certification Program.
I now work in a young company that was consumed by a larger company and the entire part numbering philosophy of implementing and tracking changes has gone through many iterations. This new adventure I am undertaking has given me the opportunity to expose folks on many levels the world of CMII and the processes we have been trained to use. Along with the knowledge of managing inventories, planning materials, documenting products, CMII solidified the process of managing changes. Now "armed" with CMII for Business Process Infrastructure, I am able to create a process that begins to standardize the way businesses manage change.
Whether we have followed the lead of Di Vinci or Razputin or Ford, it is now time to implement the correct processes for the future by using the tools provided to make changes that are clear, crisp and concise with confidence and the path being made by you is valid.
Well, I just received a message that "surfs up." Time to change from my dress suit to my wetsuit.
I don't care what anybody says, they really are interchangeable, my dress suit and my wetsuit! They're both "suits."
From Our Coast to yours, here is a warm sunny California greeting . . . May your day be as warm as our sunshine, may the waves break gently over the sand and may CMII make all your days feel like a San Diego day.
Jayke Muller-Schrecengost is President of the San Diego CMII User Group and works for Excelsus Technologies. She has spent over 20 years in the disciplines of Logistics, Materials Management, Project Management and Configuration Management. She has a BS in Organizational Management and holds CMII and Materials Management certifications.
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